It wasn't exactly, well, a zoo. But the first day of the San Diego Zoo's annual promotion allowing children under 11 free admission did attract some families and schools.

This is the 25th year for the deal, which runs through the month of October.

Lisa Kahler read about the promotion online and brought her two children, Eli, 7, and Lily, 9 on Friday morning. So she saved $54.

Not bad, considering the times.

"I probably wouldn't have come otherwise," said Kahler, who's visiting from Minneapolis, Minn. She only had a few hours to spare this day, she said.

Andrew and Catherine Gowans of Meridian, Idaho, didn't have the same luck. Oh, they had two children in tow, McKenna, 9, and Karyssa, 7.

But they had purchased the tickets earlier at a Costco. Still, they were impressed by the promotion. "We'd definitely take advantage of it if we lived here," Andrew Cowans said.

For some, the freebie was a total surprise. Steve McNew and Chris Deason were visiting from Tuscon, Ariz. They both have four-year-olds. They had no idea of the promotion.

"We totally lucked out," McNew said.

Back in the day, a free kids' day wasn't necessary. That's because children always got in free. It wasn't until 1978 that the zoo started charging children under 16 for admission. The price? It was 50 cents.

Two years later, it was bumped to a buck.

As many as 1 million children have gotten in free over the past 25 years, the zoo estimates. It offers the promotion for educational purposes, it said. A paying adult has to accompany the children. Adult admission is $38.

The offer is also good for the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

To kick-off this year's event, the zoo invited several schools to take part, including the Scripps Ranch Montessori School.

Emily Concepcion, 7, a second-grader was asked what would she rather do: Go to school or hit the zoo?